Party (1984 film)
Encyclopedia
Party is a 1984 Hindi
film directed by Govind Nihalani
. The film boasted an ensemble cast of leading art cinema actors of Parallel Cinema
, including Vijaya Mehta
, Manohar Singh
, Om Puri
, Naseeruddin Shah
, and Rohini Hattangadi
. It based on the play, Party (1976) by Mahesh Elkunchwar
.
The movie is based on Mahesh Elkunchwar
’s Marathi
play, 'Party', and produced by National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC). Party was official Indian entry to the 32nd International Film Festival of India
, New Delhi, and also took part in Tokyo Film Festival 1985 and Asia Pacific Film Festival 1985
The film is a deeply intelligent satire aimed at the urban elite—specially those poseurs with artistic inclinations, namely Establishment-artists and their Patrons. It depicts their apathy towards the society at large while they get away, by the way of small talk and prosaic conversations at parties.
The power of the movie derives, of course, from Elkunchwar's play—which had a very successful run in Marathi Theatres in Pune & Bombay, before Govind Nihalani turned it, with the author's active participation, into a screen-play.
Nihalani had just made Ardh-Satya—which had been a surprise break-away hit for Alternative Cinema (or "Parallel Cinema" as it is called in India—to differentiate it from "Bollywood")and it was easier for him to get generous financing from the Government Public Sector company NFDC (declared bankrupt and closed soon after the assassination of Art Movie aficionado Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
).
There is some speculation that it was not being offered a role in this movie, and two others, which so disillusioned Art House Diva Smita Patil
that she switched to doing mainstream Bollywood movies.
), a rich middle-aged widow and well known patron of the arts in the city, where all the cognoscenti of the urban milieu, make a beeline to.
The party is hosted in the honour Diwakar Barve (Manohar Singh
), a celebrated playwright, who has just been awarded the prestigious National Literary Award. There are gradual revelations in various conversations between attendees of the Party—by turns catty, outraged, resigned & cynical—that he got the award because he is Damyanti's lover, who wields political clout—or a toady of the Establishment.
Gradually, all the conversation gears towards the real winner, the Hero-In-Absentia :Amrit, an immensely talented and promising writer-poet who left the politics of the Party Circuit & Literary Societies to go live & work with the tribal community.
Amrit though not present in person, presents himself again and again, in their conversations, reminding them—& us, the viewers—of their banality, deceit, and their utter callousness towards the inequities in society at large, which brings them at cross-purposes to the true aim of all art and artistic endeavours: the ennoblement of humanity.
In a harrowing finale, which cuts to the Heartland of the country, Anant is shown to be murdered by the police as a "left-wing terrorist" approximately at the same time as the Party was going on.
very important in Indian film history
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film directed by Govind Nihalani
Govind Nihalani
Govind Nihalani is an Indian director, cinematographer, and also a screenwriter and film producer. He has been directing Hindi films since the late seventies, and worked in the television medium.- Biography :...
. The film boasted an ensemble cast of leading art cinema actors of Parallel Cinema
Parallel Cinema
The Indian New Wave, commonly known in India as Art Cinema or Parallel Cinema as an alternative to the mainstream commercial cinema, is a specific movement in Indian cinema, known for its serious content, realism and naturalism, with a keen eye on the sociopolitical climate of the times...
, including Vijaya Mehta
Vijaya Mehta
Vijaya Mehta is an Indian Theatre and film director and also an actor in many films from the Parallel Cinema. She is most known for her acclaimed role in film Party and for her directorial ventures, Rao Saheb and Pestonjee ....
, Manohar Singh
Manohar Singh
Manohar Singh was a distinguished Indian theatre actor-director and a character actor in Hindi films. He is best known for his performances in films such as Party and Daddy...
, Om Puri
Om Puri
Om Puri is an Indian actor who has appeared in both mainstream Indian films and art films. His credits also include appearances in British and American films. He has received an honorary OBE.-Early life:...
, Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah is an Indian / Bollywood film actor and director. He is considered to be one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. In 2003, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian cinema.-Early life:...
, and Rohini Hattangadi
Rohini Hattangadi
Rohini Hattangadi is an Indian actress of film, theatre and television. She has won two Filmfare Awards, one National Film Award, and is the only Indian actress to win the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance as Kasturba Gandhi in Gandhi...
. It based on the play, Party (1976) by Mahesh Elkunchwar
Mahesh Elkunchwar
Mahesh Elkunchwar is an Indian playwright with more than 15 plays to his name, in addition to his theoretical writings, critical works, and his active work in India's Parallel Cinema as actor and screenwriter....
.
The movie is based on Mahesh Elkunchwar
Mahesh Elkunchwar
Mahesh Elkunchwar is an Indian playwright with more than 15 plays to his name, in addition to his theoretical writings, critical works, and his active work in India's Parallel Cinema as actor and screenwriter....
’s Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
play, 'Party', and produced by National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC). Party was official Indian entry to the 32nd International Film Festival of India
International Film Festival of India
The International Film Festival of India , founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually in the beach town of Goa, in the Western Coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common platform for the cinemas of the world to project the excellence of...
, New Delhi, and also took part in Tokyo Film Festival 1985 and Asia Pacific Film Festival 1985
Overview
Shot in Real-Time, lasting most of an evening, except for a few initial scenes to set the context (which show the various people who attend just prior to going to the Party: getting ready, looking forward to going, or cribbing about having to go), and a harrowing finale.The film is a deeply intelligent satire aimed at the urban elite—specially those poseurs with artistic inclinations, namely Establishment-artists and their Patrons. It depicts their apathy towards the society at large while they get away, by the way of small talk and prosaic conversations at parties.
The power of the movie derives, of course, from Elkunchwar's play—which had a very successful run in Marathi Theatres in Pune & Bombay, before Govind Nihalani turned it, with the author's active participation, into a screen-play.
Nihalani had just made Ardh-Satya—which had been a surprise break-away hit for Alternative Cinema (or "Parallel Cinema" as it is called in India—to differentiate it from "Bollywood")and it was easier for him to get generous financing from the Government Public Sector company NFDC (declared bankrupt and closed soon after the assassination of Art Movie aficionado Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
).
There is some speculation that it was not being offered a role in this movie, and two others, which so disillusioned Art House Diva Smita Patil
Smita Patil
Smita Patil was an Indian actress of film, television and theatre. Regarded among the finest stage and film actresses of her times, Patil appeared in over 75 Hindi and Marathi films in a career that spanned just over a decade. During her career, she received two National Film Awards and a...
that she switched to doing mainstream Bollywood movies.
Plot & Technique
The entire action is confined to an evening party hosted by Damyanti Rane (Vijaya MehtaVijaya Mehta
Vijaya Mehta is an Indian Theatre and film director and also an actor in many films from the Parallel Cinema. She is most known for her acclaimed role in film Party and for her directorial ventures, Rao Saheb and Pestonjee ....
), a rich middle-aged widow and well known patron of the arts in the city, where all the cognoscenti of the urban milieu, make a beeline to.
The party is hosted in the honour Diwakar Barve (Manohar Singh
Manohar Singh
Manohar Singh was a distinguished Indian theatre actor-director and a character actor in Hindi films. He is best known for his performances in films such as Party and Daddy...
), a celebrated playwright, who has just been awarded the prestigious National Literary Award. There are gradual revelations in various conversations between attendees of the Party—by turns catty, outraged, resigned & cynical—that he got the award because he is Damyanti's lover, who wields political clout—or a toady of the Establishment.
Gradually, all the conversation gears towards the real winner, the Hero-In-Absentia :Amrit, an immensely talented and promising writer-poet who left the politics of the Party Circuit & Literary Societies to go live & work with the tribal community.
Amrit though not present in person, presents himself again and again, in their conversations, reminding them—& us, the viewers—of their banality, deceit, and their utter callousness towards the inequities in society at large, which brings them at cross-purposes to the true aim of all art and artistic endeavours: the ennoblement of humanity.
In a harrowing finale, which cuts to the Heartland of the country, Anant is shown to be murdered by the police as a "left-wing terrorist" approximately at the same time as the Party was going on.
very important in Indian film history
Awards
- 1985 National Film Award for Best Supporting ActressNational Film Award for Best Supporting ActressThe National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress winners:...
: Rohini HattangadiRohini HattangadiRohini Hattangadi is an Indian actress of film, theatre and television. She has won two Filmfare Awards, one National Film Award, and is the only Indian actress to win the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance as Kasturba Gandhi in Gandhi...
- 1985 Asia-Pacific Film Festival, Best Actress: Vijaya MehtaVijaya MehtaVijaya Mehta is an Indian Theatre and film director and also an actor in many films from the Parallel Cinema. She is most known for her acclaimed role in film Party and for her directorial ventures, Rao Saheb and Pestonjee ....
Cast
- Manohar SinghManohar SinghManohar Singh was a distinguished Indian theatre actor-director and a character actor in Hindi films. He is best known for his performances in films such as Party and Daddy...
- Vijaya MehtaVijaya MehtaVijaya Mehta is an Indian Theatre and film director and also an actor in many films from the Parallel Cinema. She is most known for her acclaimed role in film Party and for her directorial ventures, Rao Saheb and Pestonjee ....
- Rohini HattangadiRohini HattangadiRohini Hattangadi is an Indian actress of film, theatre and television. She has won two Filmfare Awards, one National Film Award, and is the only Indian actress to win the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance as Kasturba Gandhi in Gandhi...
- Om PuriOm PuriOm Puri is an Indian actor who has appeared in both mainstream Indian films and art films. His credits also include appearances in British and American films. He has received an honorary OBE.-Early life:...
- Naseeruddin ShahNaseeruddin ShahNaseeruddin Shah is an Indian / Bollywood film actor and director. He is considered to be one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. In 2003, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian cinema.-Early life:...
- Deepa SahiDeepa Sahi-Early life:Deepa Sahi was born in India in Dehradun. Her family later shifted to Canada but she continued to stay in India.-Early career:An alumnus of National School of Drama, Delhi, Sahi started off with a theater career, with strong Leftist leanings and social activism a core value of the...
- Amrish PuriAmrish PuriAmrish Singh Puri , ; 22 June 1932 – 12 January 2005 was an iconic theater and film actor from India, who was a key player in the Indian theater movement that picked up steam in the 1960s. He worked with notable playwrights of the time, such as Satyadev Dubey and Girish Karnad...
- Shafi InamdarShafi InamdarShafi Inamdar was an Indian actor. He started his film career with the film Vijeta and continued in Ardh Satya. He acted in a number of television serials including Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi. Shafi married actress Bhakti Barve. He died on 13 March 1996...
- Mohan Bhandari
- Ila ArunIla ArunIla Arun is a popular Indian actress, TV personality and a Rajasthani folk/folk-pop singer with a unique, husky voice and a penchant for folk-pop fusion. Her daughter is Ishita Arun.-Early life:She was born and brought up in the state capital of Jaipur...
- Soni Razdan
- Jayant KripalaniJayant KripalaniJayant Kripalani is an Indian film, television and stage actor, director and trainer. Most known for TV series, like Khandaan, Mr. Ya Mrs and and Ji Mantriji . He also wrote the screenplay for Shyam Benegal's film, Well Done Abba...
- K.K. Raina